Italy repechage to World Cup, Iran gets visas but still missing a piece

The Iranian national team’s approach to the World Cup is proving very difficult due to the current geopolitical situation and tensions between Iran and the United States. The team is currently in Antalya waiting to move to Mexico.

On Thursday, Iran’s ambassador to Ankara Mohammad-Hassan Habibollahzadeh reported that the process of issuing the visas needed to enter Mexico was carried out without requiring their presence at the Mexican embassy and was exempt from fingerprinting. He emphasized that this facilitation was essential to avoid any disruption to the team’s plans, allowing them to focus on the upcoming friendly against Mali.

One piece is still missing, however: the visa to enter U.S. soil. Officials in charge have been working on the issue for some time but the final verdict has not yet come. For this very reason, the team has been forced to move the venue of the training camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico.

The president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, during a sports program broadcast on state television, updated on the situation: “On Saturday we will leave for Spain and from there the national team will fly directly to Tijuana. After obtaining the Mexican visa I believe and hope the procedure for the U.S. documents will be quick.”